A convincing 3-1 victory over fellow Lowland League side Threave Rovers last month means the students will tackle the Spiders- a team with the best Scottish Cup records outside of the Old Firm, albeit their last win was in 1893.

Goalkeeper Ryan Marshall has been an integral part of Shelley Kerr’s side this season, starting all 11 matches in the Lowland League and is looking forward to the match.

It’s undoubtedly the students’ toughest task this season with Queen’s Park sitting third in Ladbrokes League Two. A 3-1 defeat at the hands of Annan in their last fixture will ensure the Hampden Park side are switched on when they travel along the M90 on this weekend.

“The weekend will be great for the team as a whole,” said Ryan. “Some of the younger boys won’t have played in the Scottish Cup before so it’s a good experience for them.”

Marshall, who is completing a Masters in Performance Coaching at the university, is looking forward to testing himself against league opposition and is fully aware of the old “romance of the cup” cliché.

He added: “As a squad we’re looking forward to testing ourselves against a team who play in a league above us and we know it’s going to be a very tough match. That said, its cup football and anything can happen.

“The season is going well for us so far. It’s especially tough for us at the start of the season when some of the boys are new to the system and have just moved away from home, but for the most part were doing pretty well.

“I think we’ve had a good intake this year and the team looks strong in all areas of the park.

We’re being challenged each week in the Lowland League which can only be a positive influence for the players.”

Meanwhile coach Shelley Kerr said her team is ready for the challenge.

“The guys are absolutely buzzing for it. We know it’ll be a tough game for us but equally it’s an opportunity to see where we are at in terms of our own developments as a team.

All the Lowland League and Highland League teams are aspiring to get into the Football League.

“In all honesty I think the guys were a bit gutted it wasn’t at Hampden! It’s a footballers dream to play at your national stadium. We’ve been doing reasonably well in the league of late and we’re on a great run, but it’s an opportunity for us to switch off from the league, which is your bread and butter.”

The action kicks off at Forthbank at 3pm. Admission is £10 for adults and £3 for students and concessions.